Cost Of Doing An Ag?

[ledgenko]

I must be lucky .. I have a boat and brew !! but seriously the cost is quickly outweighed when it comes to the quality of beer. Take my beloved "White Rabbit Dark ale" .. one of Australia's newest and most exciting beers (IMO) .. $20 a six pack when a quick search on line will give you a clone which is pretty damn close (better in some minds). So what may start off as a $200 kettle and modified esky is quickly made worthwhile.

It does become a bit of an addiction .. quite a big one .. where beer takes over your life .. dream it and think it 24/7 .. but such a beautiful nightmare...

For a cheap option I will give you a sweet recipe for a cheap and beautiful beer .. D445..

BRB

 

[chappo1970]

I already have expensive hobbies (2 race cars & 6 kids!), so another hobbie won't smash the already damaged bank account! I also have an awsome shed so the space is not an issue.

I too have a race car and I can tell you for the cost of a new block and say some decent headers you will have more beer than you can poke a checkered flag at. Unlike cars that like to break things more than once with AG brewing, if you buy well and quality gear, the gear will literally last you a life time.

Cheers

Chap Chap

 

[EK]

Kuzzy,

I was also a kit brewer long(ish) term, about 5-6 years. I also had the same concerns with regards to cost as you do. In fact, I was not able to move to AG until there was a global financial meltdown and Uncle KRudd issues a handout that allowed me to buy a 40L Crown Urn for BIAB-style AG.

After the initial gear, the costs per brew can be (as many others have said) pretty variant. However, you can make great beer via AG without breaking the weekly budget.

I find that there are some beers that cost me about $45 to make and others that are as low as $20. As I take notes about all of my brews, I find that if I have extra hops left over from a more expensive brew it lowers the cost for the next. Also, If i can re-use yeast then the cost is lower still. This does mean I often brew two or three beers in the same style, but that's fine, I also have plenty of stock to choose from and I try to keep it that way.

I didn't get into AG in order to make great beer at any cost as others seem to have, I wanted to make better beer and not break my budget.

My advice is to do your research and find out exactly what equipment you are going to need. Ensure that you have the process worked out so that you don't get all the gear and then find out you need a $40 part that you didn't account for. Also check the costs of grain, hops and yeast from where you intend to buy. Evaluate the costs of a few of the recipes you intend to brew and see if you can do it inside your budget. If you can do it then go for it, you won't regret it.

:icon_cheers:
EK

 

[Fourstar]

keeping everything simple. assume all grain (specialty or base malt) cost 4 and 100g of hops cost 12 bucks.

most batches @ 65-70 brewhouse efficiency will use 5.5-6 kg for a 1.050 OG.

if you use a 6% AA hop throughout the batch @ 30 IBU you will probably use 50-100g depending on the hopping schedule. saying that you are looking at

22 + 6 = 28 (approx minimum cost)

24 + 12 = 36 (approx max cost)

Once you start buying in bulk things ususally get cheaper depending on your retailer.

 

[Bribie G]

Another Kevvie Urn brewer here. It also depends what style you enjoy drinking. I'm a UK bitter or Aussie lager brewer, with the odd stout. You can make an authentic and very enjoyable bitter with 4 kg of malt, some sugar and 50 g of assorted UK style hops (which currently are running at about 60% of the price of popular USA hops). Also I recycle yeast, as most do so for a quaffing bitter:

4kg ale malt at 3.80 a kilo $15.20
some spec grains $2
50 g pom hops $4
da sugaz $0.50
yeast pro rata $1

Around $20 to $25 should wrap up a typical quaffing brew. If I had a mill and participated in grain bulk buys I would probably average out around $17

Now with Aussie Lagers at their most basic you really only need

4kg pilsener malt $15.20
rice $1.50
30g POR $2.50
sugaz $0.50
yeast pro rata $1

Around $20 for a great lawnmower and six o clock swiller that leaves Carlton for dead

On the other hand I'm brewing a couple of American Ambers for the March comp and they each have around a kilo of spec dark grains, base malt, I bought a smack pack which I probably won't use for future brews and they both have around 120g of USA hops which I got cheap as it happens, but at full price each batch would probably be worth up around the $40 mark. So yes, it's how long is a piece of string :lol: I'm doing the Americans as an experiment as well as a comp entry because I like to branch out now and again, but will I get twice the enjoyment out of them compared to a couple of Aussie Lagers? Dunno - but the cost isn't the driving factor.

 

[praxis178]

And some have Breweries.... :lol:

Can I be in three brackets?

I have boats, planes and a brewery. I got rid of the 15ton crush capacity winery three years ago, too many hobbies so not enough time for work! :super:

 

[Melthar]

One thing that has already been said but is worth repeating.

Buying in bulk makes a world of difference. Some things you may not want to buy in bulk because you'd like to experiment with styles, but a 25kg bag of pale malt, and maybe the same of pils gives you a great starting point to which you can add small quantities of spec grains

As an example, Barret Burton Malt ( http://www.craftbrewer.com.au/shop/details.asp?PID=773 )
1kg: $4/Kg
25kg: $2.40Kg

Even cheaper if you can take advantage of the bulk buys that pop up in the forums.

 

[Scruffy]

My Citra IPA cost about $60 odd. It made 19 litres of 10%+ beer.

Then there's Pipes and Sterilizers and Whirlfloc and Idophor and PH paper and Pots and Gas and kegs and different gas and taps and fridges and Brew Club subscription and a Mill and a March Pump and Gypsum and a Hop Sock and Beersmith registration and...


...get the idea...?

 

[manticle]

I don't really count the cost. If I can afford it, I buy it. If I can't, I either don't or I find another way. The generosity of other brewers is also very helpful.

However I would say that an average brew (and who here brews average beer?) would cost less than an extract brew and far less than the same amount of commercial beer.

You can set yourself up for thousands of dollars or you can set yourself up for under $100 and even under $50. It's up to you, what you can afford, what you can build yourself (or source elsewhere) and what you want to spend.

Ingredients, as pointed out, will vary dependent on brew and whether you buy bulk, whether you use liquid yeast and harvest/reharvest/farm the yeast, how often you do it etc.

Essentially though I reckon full extract is the most expensive form of brewing so if you're moving towards bits and maybe extract the price will not go any higher per brew (equipment dependent).

Definitely worth it - take it from a man with bugger all disposable income (casual worker and postgrad student). The only boat I can afford is one I make myself from aluminium foil but the pleasure I get from the smell of mashing in the morning is comparable to few other things.

 

[Nick JD]

BB Ale Malt is $2.20 per kg in 25kg sacks. That's about $10 for a 23L batch. Add 20g of 12% AA hops and that's another $2.00.

Throw it on the yeast of your last batch, that's $0.00 for yeast if you were gonna chuck it. Electricity is about 10c.

$12 for 23L is near enough to 50c a liter to not worry. Cheaper and MUCH better than a kit beer. Getting giddy on a dollar makes glue sniffing seem extravagant.

Or you can make a beer the girls will love for $50 - but make sure you wear your pink tutu when you drink it in your sippy-cup.

 

[HoppingMad]

The generosity of other brewers is also very helpful.

+1. If you become part of the brewing community you will find that your currency can often become the beers you brew, or simply because you share the passion people will share their supplies with you. And as a result of this your costs can be a lot lower that you'd expect.

To answer your OP though - I have made all grain beers for as little as $18 (straight pilsener grain type brews with low hopping), and as much as $45 for 19L batches (using specialty grains and liquid yeasts). You can make beers cheaply also if you reuse yeast slurries as well and if you get to know other AG'ers here or at a club often they'll pass on a yeast starter to you if you haven't tried a type of yeast before. Getting onto the grain bulk buys available on this site will also save you a truckload.

Whether you're paying $18 or $45, that's around 25 x 750ml longnecks whichever way you look at it. So yes it's economical, but often the goal of brewers is not purely economy - but creating something a commercial can't, and that means spending a little more than they would on ingredients to create something unique.

You'll find Domosura does a good justification of the cost on his Beerbelly website as well when he's talking about his turnkey breweries - you can find it here with a good breakdown: Frequently Asked Questions

Hopper .

 

[Fents]

Some guys have boats...............................

And some have Breweries.... :lol:

and some have both

 

[Screwtop]

I must be lucky .. I have a boat and brew !! but seriously the cost is quickly outweighed when it comes to the quality of beer. Take my beloved "White Rabbit Dark ale" .. one of Australia's newest and most exciting beers (IMO) .. $20 a six pack when a quick search on line will give you a clone which is pretty damn close (better in some minds). So what may start off as a $200 kettle and modified esky is quickly made worthwhile.

It does become a bit of an addiction .. quite a big one .. where beer takes over your life .. dream it and think it 24/7 .. but such a beautiful nightmare...

For a cheap option I will give you a sweet recipe for a cheap and beautiful beer .. D445..

BRB

I'm hearing that!!!!!!!!

Screwy

 

[chadjaja]

I have a second hand esky, toilet braid for a filter and my 40L urn is nearly paid off after not many brews at all. I'd say AG for me costs half of what kits and bits did especially when I used to use dry yeast for every batch and thats more expensive these days.

I'm prob about $20 or so a keg for a standard batch, increasing your efficiency saves money on grain too.

 

[MarkBastard]

Good to see people are being more realistic about the costs now.

Anyway I think it's worth it. Before I started home brewing I worked out how much I spend per year on beer including going to pubs and it was a lot. Despite buying heaps and heaps of equipment and feeling like I've spent bucketloads of money on gear I reckon I'm in front.

Plus you get the hobby factor as well. At least this is a productive hobby.

 

[mckenry]

quick answer = $1/L

No scrimping on ingredients either. Yes I am a bulk grain buyer.

 

[argon]

I reckon if cost is a concern ( or consideration at least) planning is the key.

Whenever I formulate or find a decent recipe, i'll plan to use common quantities or factors of weight that I can access. For example I get 90g packs of hops from Ross. So therefore I'll use a divisible factor of 90 in my recipe. That way I try and get a few brews out of the one packet and minimise waste. I end up doing similar styles, but nit the same thing over and over again. Eg I have a EKG IPA, a Landlord and an APA all which used 1 90g EKG hop pack (of course along with other stuff)

now I'm farming some yeast the costs are going to drop again.

For me doing it this way I might spend $60 everytime i go down to craftbrewers, but I reckon I get at least 2 brews out of it. And I do 34L batches (2 cubes)

For me the biggest "cost" factor is the time. Can't find enough of it. Had a bit of a think about this the other day actually. My hourly charge out rate at work is $264 incl GST. (not what I get... What I cost the client). So if I was to do a brew, I average about 4 and a bit hours all tolled including cleaning.

So a typical "$30" batch actually costs (4.5x262) + 30= $1078. At 34L that equals $31.70/L. Although, that's what it'd cost someone else not me.

Anyhoo...Back on topic AG will give you infinitely better beer and "can" be cheaper. No matter what... for me worth every penny.

 

[praxis178]

I read this thread yesterday and thought, just how much did it cost me? So I went and added up my equipment cost etc..

Mashing 2x19L stock pots from Big W. Can't remember what I paid, but now they're around the $22mark. (bought them for another reason, had some large crabs to cook)
first leutering tub: 2x20L buckets one with 2mm holes drilled in the bottom the other with a tap and hose fitted $15 inc lids. <good to 18L batches>
Fermenter (30L) $30 but that's the new one I bought last week. <I now have 5 fermenters, 3x20L, 2x30L>

Typical batch has been covered to death, so I won't go into it.

I've since added an old 55L esky with SS false bottom to the kit (free, neighbour was getting rid of the esky, and I already had the SS for the bottom in my scrap pile), plus the tap and hose total cost ~$30 which includes the foam to insulate the lid.

As the old Master-card add woul say $50 for the kit, $30 for the grain, drinking great beer: priceless! :chug:

 

[peas_and_corn]

I normally budget about $1.50-$2/L for a batch, if it's a reeeeally high OG and/or high IBU beer then it can push to $3-4/L. Which is certainly worth it for the fun of making AG beer and the resultant product!

 

[Gulpa]

This thread got me thinking so I did a quick calcuation. I did a 10% Beligan Dark Strong last year that was easily my most expensive, $95 for 25 litres (including gas). Still good value considering 330ml of a real belgian dark strong is at least $8 and more likely $10.

cheers
Andrew.